Something strange I've noticed about birds lately...

I don't know if there is any relevance or even a story here but its something strange I have noticed in the past year or so.

I remember when I was a kid every time I tried to get close to a bird they would fly away, afraid of me. Same with others who tried. Now it seems birds aren't afraid of humans like they once were. Where I work there are a lot of birds in the area and they land close to me, pick up dropped food and not even realize I'm there. I was so close to one the other day I could have touched it. Now I don't know if this means anything or what but I haven't seen birds act like this before. Perhaps they are getting used to humans, but why now? I'm sure its not a conspiracy and I'm sure its probably just another stupid topic but I'm really curious as to why they aren't afraid of humans like they once were.

That's something I've noticed as well, though I've also noticed lately that there are hardly any birds in my area. Now, I live in a very warm climate, so it's normal for us to have a bunch of bird year-round, so it's not just that they've migrated. I literally don't see or hear birds hardly at all anymore around here; it's weird.

It's probably because you are more patient and calm than you were when you were younger.

We have Stellar Jays and even one Magpie that all fly up to us on our deck. One Jay has even walked inside our house a couple of time when the door to the deck was open.

They first come looking for crumbs and then over time as they learn we pose no risk to them, they begin to appear tame. A Jay came up and took a crumb out of my Wife's hand a couple of weeks ago.

Kids I think give off a different vibe (for lack of a better word).

Birds that live in the city or burbs in areas where people drop food lose their fear of people. There's an abundance of unhealthy but delicious food and people aren't allowed to hurt them.
If you try to get close to a bird in a more rural area, they will fly away because they are not "domesticated" so to speak. Also, people shoot them for food (Love me some squab).

Addition: true about the difference in movement of children vs adults. Most animals act differently around children bc of their jerky movements. Also think they smell different.

reply to post by Xandyr101


I'd say it has more to do with where you work at. If there is lots of dropped food around.....and lots of people at the same time....for instance like a theme park...then birds can get pretty used to people quick! I used to go to Disney World every year as a child, and I was always amazed at how bold some of the birds were.....they'd all but take food off of your plate!

Animals only fear humans when they have too. I worked at a national park and you could get a squirrel to run up to you by making a sound and holding your hand out. Deer you could almost pet. And turkeys that stood in the middle of the road. It was an old joke we called the guy turkey pimp turkey because he had like 50 female turkeys with him holding up traffic like he was a boss.

reply to post by Xandyr101

It simply depends on the type of bird and if they are used to humans or not.

As another poster has mentioned I think it has to do with where you work. Downtown near my house birds do not give a flying you know what about people being near them. Went on a nice hike today and all the birds would fly away 20 yards out.

My dad mention the very thing to me the other day. I also have noticed this too, maybe they know something we dont?

Originally posted by Xandyr101
I don't know if there is any relevance or even a story here but its something strange I have noticed in the past year or so.

I remember when I was a kid every time I tried to get close to a bird they would fly away, afraid of me. Same with others who tried. Now it seems birds aren't afraid of humans like they once were. Where I work there are a lot of birds in the area and they land close to me, pick up dropped food and not even realize I'm there. I was so close to one the other day I could have touched it. Now I don't know if this means anything or what but I haven't seen birds act like this before. Perhaps they are getting used to humans, but why now? I'm sure its not a conspiracy and I'm sure its probably just another stupid topic but I'm really curious as to why they aren't afraid of humans like they once were.

Yes today a bird flew into the office at work and kept flying into walls trying to get out. It finally landed by the door on the radio stand. I tried to shoo it towards the door with a folder and a broom but it wouldn't move. So I reached down and picked it up. It didn't move, it just looked at me. I turned it towards me and told it that it didn't need to be scared I was just helping and I put it outside on the ground and it flew away. My co worker and I were surprised it let me even touch it.

I once had a baby owl I saved that let me hold it too. That thing was cute beyond belief!



The bird did poo on me however in the process


Just googled Florida birds and it was the state bird that pooed on me! The Florida Mockingbird..

About a year ago, we noticed this with the wild animals at our somewhat isolated lake lot. A couple of fox would casually walk around and just watch us, or lay at the edge of the property with eyes half closed. Other animals are also more relaxed when we are there. The real problem is the skunks, some have walked right over our feet like we did not exist.

Well I suspect birds of all species have certainly learned to grow with mankind and all other animals for that matter..As far as becoming weirdly tame and unbothered by us No I would have to dissagree. The birds have not changed but it is you who has..I live on about a 4 acre estate outside of town my property line is full of trees willow trees, maples, oaks, white ash, spruce, cedar, you would think it's paradise for birds yet..the only birds that truly stick around are a family of crows I have noticed they stay very protective of their nesting grounds with little or no concern over me. They will actually rummage through my yard all the time with no respect shown towards me. I hate how they just sit and stare at you as if your a burden to them.You want to talk about weird behaviors observe crows you will learn a lot.

I get a lot of bird species in my yard all the time and they do seem to have become bolder in recent years. Like some magpies that practically eat out of my hand now and even the crows and parrots get very close now, apparently unconcerned about people. There was one magpie that would actually announce his presence at the back door as if to call me outside to feed him and wait patiently until I produced something for him. I assume it's a result of no-one in the general neighbourhood behaving in a threatening way toward them.

I have read several posts about Birds lately. In the spring I was really stunned at the number of birds that were around my home. Starting in July, I noticed there were very few left. Now I rarely see any. I just went out side and couldn't find a one. Weird.

We use to have a squirrel that would tap on the window when the feeder in yard needed refilled. It really like sun flower seeds. Had a cat that would ring the door bell when it wanted feed. They say that a mother bird will not take a baby bird back if it is touched by human hands. Well last summer a baby Red Bird fail out of a nest behind the house. I thought it was dead at first. I picked it up and then realized it was alive. The mother bird watched me as I got a ladder and put the baby bird back in the nest. The mother bird seem to not have any problems with the baby having been in human hands. I think we may have to rewrite the book on animal behavior before long.

Nice thread. I've held that fantasy of wanting to have a rapport with birds especially since I was a child. Not a bird watcher or anything, just love the little buggers We have pigeons everywhere, some places they are obviously more friendly than other. I've tried to feed them in various places, local cities, London, etc - before and they come close, but not right up to you. Very cautious.

But this year I've broken all my personal records in terms of befriending birds.. Over the summer a lone duck let me feed it, into its beak, and it just stayed there, and it let me touch it. That's never happened before to me, I've never been able to get within five foot of a duck without it quacking off out the way. But this one was certainly and unprecedentedly more at ease.

And just a couple of weeks ago returning from a holiday in Ireland, sat in Cardiff station a pigeon got a little close for comfort when I gave it some crisps. Well, I say close for comfort - I don't mind. I've always wanted my "bird lady" (from Home Alone 2) moment... This thing was sitting on me, jumping on my bag, quite happily waiting for me to feed it and letting me move around whilst it stayed put on me. It even drew a small crowd. Probably because I think we all get told at a young age that pigeons are nasty little creatures, but I've never believed that. Having one sit on me and let me feed it properly was new experience for me, only waited 27 years for it - but it's not uncommon or un-heard of (Home Alone 2 for example!) - I guess I was just in the right place at the right time, with the right pigeons!

That said - something odd has occurred in my back garden. I've lived here almost 2 and a half years, and there were always birds fluttering about in the garden, looking for food. So much so, that I was sure to finally (start of this summer) start putting bird seed out. I got a couple of bird feeders, filled them up, and three days later they were empty. Now, being pretty poor - I couldn't afford more bird seed for about a month. The birds were still in the garden, looking for scraps, lots of them - so I thought I've got to do this, got to refill those bird feeders.

So I finally got enough to get the seed, filled them up, as the previous morning they had been particularly loud. But this was about a month ago, and the bird feeders are still full. Not seen a single bird in the garden, or near it. Don't hear them out there anymore, either. Mushrooms have sprouted in their numbers - so whether this is keeping the birds away, plus I heard in the UK there was some kind of garden/tree disease hurting bird populations in South East England where I am, and that news story came out around the time I filled the feeders a second time, so I have no idea what's going on, why the birds have disappeared - of course, not completely, but from my garden.

With all that said though, I definitely felt a stronger affinity with animals across the board this year. Pigeons, ducks, dogs... even the moths and spiders that infiltrate my flat I won't harm anymore. So S&F for you, even if it is - like you say - no conspiracy, just cool

Yeah I'm not saying they know something we don't or anything, I just find it very odd.

I work at a Blockbuster and for as long as I have been there birds have been around the area, so perhaps they are getting used to humans all over the world but why now? Maybe I am seeing too much into it lol. It is cool that birds aren't as afraid of us as they once were I just find it different really. As to other behavior in animals that have been mentioned in this thread, I haven't really seen any change but then again I only see birds, cats and dogs to be honest.

I was talking about it with a co-worker tonight at work and he was telling me that on his property deer have been acting a bit different than usual. He said not too long ago he got almost close enough to one to touch it til he decided it was probably not a good idea, but he had never gotten that close to a deer before. Animals are certainly progressing and I'm not sure what that means on an evolutionary level. It has me thinking though that's for sure lol

reply to post by Xandyr101


Funny you should mention this. A week or two ago, on a Friday Morning, my hubby came into our room, as I was in there making the bed, and said that there is a Magpie sitting under our pergola on the hanging lights we have fitted around (its a green rope the width of a hose, but its green see through plastic so that the lights inside can shine through). What was so very very weird about the whole thing is that it sat there ALL DAY. We greeted it, in the old tradition, and even fed it to make sure that there was nothing wrong with it, and it came down ate the dog bits and flew back up to its perch. Not a sound was made from it all day and it left pretty much right on dusk.
This is the oddest behavior I have ever seen for a maggie, and hubby, whom has been a bird watcher for most of his life, stated that he had never seen nor heard of this happening before.

Well they are also getting more used to driving cars nowadays.. It seems like they are getting more bold against cars and moving away only at the last moment (often too late) or swooping by infront of cars lower every time..

In the past few years i had to break hard for birds more then when i first started driving a car!

I was thinking about this thread today and something dawn on me. My house is in the main flight path of birds flying south for the winter. The sky will be so thick with them that they blot out the sun. The odd thing is I have not seen that this year and it is time. As I think about it I am not 100 % sure they flow over last year. I will have to keep a close eye on this. Maybe they are just late this year. Just does not seem right.